By Kim Reyes-Palanca @kimpalanca on Instagram The Lunar New Year of the Dog brings with it the depth and energy of Earth—the element for the year of 2018. To usher in the Chinese New Year, it is said that wearing earth tone colors will bring balance and luck. The Dog’s intrinsic element is Earth and for that, colors that symbolize the elements of Wood (green) and Water (blue and black) bring good fortune. For some signs, wearing red, gold, or yellow to establish the element of Fire, are also effective energy stabilizers. An alternative to designing your home in this color palette, or planning your clothes to match, is through a beauty wardrobe. What better way to have these shades on you than actually wearing them on your skin?!  A prosperous makeup palette, perhaps? Neapolis—Chanel’s spring 2018 collection—couldn’t have come at a more serendipitous timing. Lucia Pica, Chanel global creative makeup and color designer, was mesmerized by her very own hometown, Naples. Neapolis, or “New City” in Greek, is rooted in ancient history and today, thrives with a modern Mediterranean mood. It gives the House of Chanel a rich backdrop for an inspired color scheme—warm but vibrant, contemporary yet nostalgic altogether. The result is a complementary palette of green and blue, red and black, and a punch of yellow to draw you in. It entices like Parthenope, the siren that called out to Odysseus through song, and has been part of Naples’ history. Consequently, Parthenope is also the shade of a matte powder that can be mixed with a balm to create a blurry, painterly effect on cheeks and lips, just like the tempera technique of Pompeiian frescoes. The color spectrum came from everywhere, both from the innate and man-made beauties of Naples. The natural landscape of Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, the waters of the Bay, the architectural and artistic legacy of the city, the pigments of the frescoes in Villa Poppaea in Oplontis, the decoration of Baroque churches—these were all explored and proved ripe for the picking for the collection.   Chanel is available at Rustan’s, Makati, Shangri-La Plaza, and Alabang Town Center. For more info, follow @rustansthebeautysource and @chanel.beauty on Instagram